The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, had a significant impact on colonization efforts by dividing newly-discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal. The treaty established an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean, granting Spain rights to territories west of the line and Portugal to those east. This division influenced colonial expansion, directing Spanish and Portuguese exploration and conquest in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The treaty facilitated the establishment of vast empires, but it also contributed to conflicts with other European powers and indigenous populations, leading to a legacy of colonialism that reshaped global trade and geopolitics.